Personality Cash Cow
By Sean at 28 February, 2008, 4:46 pm
T-minus three days and counting. Russians will go to the polls on Sunday to cast their votes for a new President. But one shouldn’t get to carried away with the casting votes part. Yes, Russians will vote, but no one has any doubt who the victor will be. Dmitri Medvedev will be the third President of the Russian Federation.
And it seems that Russians have been getting ready since Putin anointed him successor in December. According to the Moscow Times, bureaucrats and businessmen have been furiously snatching up portraits of Medvedev. Photo shop owner Vladimir Tyshko is cashing in on the pre-election rush. As the MT says,
“Since it was announced that Medvedev was the official successor, we immediately started getting inquiries about him, and now Medvedev has really overtaken Putin in sales,” said Vladimir Tyshko, who sells photographic portraits of politicians.
“With the elections approaching, Medvedev is selling very well: About 70 percent of people want portraits of Medvedev, and 30 percent want Putin now. Before Putin was of course the absolute leader by sales; now it is Medvedev,” Tyshko said.
Tyshko’s Internet shop, www.vRamke.ru, sells a giant 1.2 meter-high Medvedev portrait for 20,000 rubles ($800). Smaller portraits, showing a benevolent-looking Medvedev, go for 2,000 rubles.
Kinda reminds me of the Staples Center jersey shop right after the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol. I’m sure Gasol has been out selling Kobe since.
Poor Putin. He’s yesterday’s news. Last year’s champion. A washed up Personality Cult. And shops just can’t move them As one clerk in a Moscow bookshop told the Moscow Times, “The Medvedev ones have sold out. Buy the Putin one — he is still the boss.”
Putin!? Why settle for less when there’s a new kid in town.
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Comments
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I wonder how the “Putin 4eva” conspirologists will rationalize that one.
BTW, pretty sure Medvedev’s eyes are blue, which would make it 3 in a row. No significance in that. But the bald-hairy pattern still holds.
I wonder how the “Putin 4eva” conspirologists will rationalize that one.
It’s quite simple, really – everyone with a suitable office wall already has a Putin portrait, so of course Dima is outselling VVP…
And by responding I’m not saying I regard myself as a “conspirologist” about VVP’s future. I think my views on that matter could best be described as a strong belief in a wait-and-see approach. Поживём, увидим.
“The Medvedev ones have sold out. Buy the Putin one — he is still the boss.”
As Lyndon mentioned – they already have the boss’ image in the office.
And he will the Boss for a long time as I guess. So I wouldn’t waste money (well the only occasion I paid money for the portrait – toon posters for my kids)…
Tyshko offers an interesting selection of portraits. Putin, Medvedev, various siloviki, Yeltsin, Hugo Chavez… okay. But Dzherzhinsky?
Felix Edmundovich was and is the icon in every “silovik” office.
Someone from civil sector might hang him in his office juts to let others think “This guys might have been silovik or fiend of silovik or relative of silovik or… ”
But I love this description the most
“Применяется качественный деревянный багет европейских производителей. Самый солидный портрет в нашем каталоге, он станет достойным элементом оформления Вашего интерьера.”
As I understand, it is sure that the Medvedev is the next president of Russian Federation. And he is probably elected by the public because he is the only one who have had the chance to advertise himself and he is supported by the Putin. So, buying hes picture is the sure thing but whether it will be the short or the long term investment will be seen in future years.
Thank you, Ivanov!